Mayor at odds with councillors over pay review

Fougere opposes effort that could result in raises to counter federal tax changes

Citing municipal politics as more of a calling than a career, Mayor Michael Fougere says he is not in favour of a salary review that may result in a pay increase for city councillors or himself.

The motion to establish a Salary Review Commission to address the city council remuneration structure was discussed and passed by the executive committee Wednesday afternoon.

There hasn’t been such a review since 2002.

“That would be a review likely to increase our salary, increase our benefits, and I suggest that there’s never a good time to do that,” said Fougere. “We came in as councillors knowing what our salary was going to be, and I maintain that that’s the case today.”

Ward 3 city councillor Andrew Stevens said a review of this kind is long overdue and that it doesn’t necessarily mean a pay increase, but that going into the 2020 election, people should know there is the potential for that on the horizon.

It was a sentiment echoed by Ward 8 city councillor Mike O’donnell.

“I said when we talked about this before and I will repeat, we would never treat our staff this way,” said O’donnell. “We would never hold our staff to 16 or 18 years of no negotiation, no discussion and no salary increase.”

He said despite what people may say, salary is a factor in attracting young people to the job.

The mayor and city councillors’ salaries are determined based on a formula attached to cabinet ministers’ salaries. They go up or down in tandem, so salaries have not stayed the same for 16 years, but the formula has.

Stevens and O’donnell are arguing for the right to negotiate changes to the formula.

Also passed by committee Wednesday was a motion to maintain net pay for city council members after the federal government announced the elimination of a section of the Income Tax Act that exempted one-third of city councillors’ salaries and allowances from income tax.

The change is to take effect in 2019, and would result in a significant drop in pay for the mayor and city councillors.

The motion is for an amendment to a bylaw that would allow for the maintenance of the current net pay for city council members once the federal tax change takes effect — something well supported by city council members.

“I think it’s fair for anyone who’s on council across the country to maintain your salary,” said Fougere. “It is not a salary increase. We’ll all have the same take-home pay Jan. 1 as we do today.”

He said city council hasn’t determined where the money to make up for the loss of the tax exemption will come from, except to say that the shortfall will be “covered by city operations in some fashion.”

The total shortfall will be $108,000, and where that money comes from will be discussed as part of the budget process, said Fougere.

While most city council members are on board, Stevens isn’t convinced it’s the right call.

“No other workplace could possibly adjust the salary just to compensate for federal tax changes,” he said, adding that he could not support the motion.

Both motions were passed by majority vote at the executive committee meeting, but still need to pass at a city council meeting scheduled for Nov. 26.